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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · file · ruler · season · rule · rock

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rule — a law
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. file — a document
  8. rock — a stone
  9. file — a line of people
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. season — of the year
  12. rule — government
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. file — a tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rock — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com